Sturm's Cowboys mailbag

Well, here we are again. Bob is going to write a Friday morning mailbag as if Ezekiel Elliott will be leaving the Cowboys for the next six weeks -- just like last week! However, this time, it looks like they really will be without him (although I shall leave open 1 percent uncertainty).

Atlanta is a scary opponent. I have studied the Falcons quite a bit in the past two weeks and definitely feel like people writing them off have made a big mistake. Of course, losing to Carolina last week was a big issue, as that was a win that could have turned their season. Now, the frustration grows and they really need to get on the trot soon or they risk letting the Saints and Panthers pull away, despite both being extremely flawed themselves.

I think Atlanta is really good. I don't think they are "Super Bowl good," but in this weird NFC season, anything is possible if you stay alive. But they need a 6-2 stretch run to qualify and that will need to start Sunday at home against Dallas.

I fear that it starts Sunday with Atlanta sending Dallas fans into a full Zeke-less panic, 31-24.

Let's check your questions:

Q: Are you surprised at all with how little Ryan Switzer has produced up to this point of the season?

Not really. I was a bit surprised by the selection, but then we found out it was basically to replace Lucky Whitehead (undrafted) and provide some juice in the return game (which barely exists in the NFL anymore) and some injury cover for Cole Beasley. I have no issue with the decision, but I had no belief they had snaps for him unless there is a major injury in a world where Jason Witten plays 100 percent of the snaps -- there just are almost no snaps for a fourth wide receiver. So, here we are. He has played and he has certainly had a package or two installed to provide some looks, but nothing much. Apologies to all of your fantasy teams, but this seemed obvious in the summer if they were healthy.

Q: Hi Bob. I asked you a while back about Dez's route tree. I stand by it still: they do not put him in position to succeed enough. It's constant run upfield and try to out-physical the DB. Maybe a slant here and there. Compared to what PIT and ATL do with Antonio and Julio (pre-2017, anyway) who run all over the field and find mismatches. Just like Rams did with their RBS - make Jaylon cover in space. Create mismatch situations. Linehan does not do that enough, if at all. Too vanilla. It's a disservice to all the receivers, especially Dez. Thoughts?

I want to say this in the most gentle sort of way: Dez Bryant is not nearly as dynamic and versatile as those two you just mentioned. He is a more one-dimensional threat. Perhaps that could have been expanded before his body started to decline because of injuries, but now at this point to run him all over the field and "create mismatches" is just not something that he would probably make you think of Antonio Brown, or even Odell Beckham Jr. Like I said earlier, Dez has strength. He does not have elite speed and he doesn't have elite quickness. He is as strong as they get at that position and he overpowers guys. I don't know how carried away you can get on tactics with that arsenal. You isolate him and you allow him to overpower in space. But he isn't running away from NFL defensive backs very often, and so he is going to have a hard time lining up anywhere and being used any way you want.

Dez is very good at what he does. But, this catch-all argument that it is the coach's fault that he isn't a league leader anymore is likely our coping mechanism to deal with the reality that he is becoming a bit limited in his arsenal. That is OK. It is a vital skill he is great at. But I don't think creativity is the issue anymore. He is a player dealing with the toll that the NFL has taken on his body. He should have many good years left, but we might have to adjust our projections -- 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns likely doesn't happen again in a season.

Q: Do you think the Cowboys should run more screens to Zeke? Seems like every time they do it's a HUGE play.

I think you could make the case that it should be tried more often. But overall, I think I appreciate the number of different ways they have used Elliott with run-pass options, receiving options, screens, pitches, naked pitches and all of the fly-sweep action to try to make him a threat in a number of different ways. There are a million ways to wonder about the coaching staff and its strategic ideas, but I don't think using Zeke would make my list.

Q: Which secondary player do you trust the most/least back there?

I have the utmost trust and confidence in Orlando Scandrick. He has no regard for his own safety and will fight you even when he is injured or beaten. I don't know if he is the most pleasant Cowboy, but who cares when you want a defensive back. He has had a very nice career. Least trust? Well, most of those I had no trust in are no longer here. So, unproven is a fair question of those who are still trying to prove something. And there are quite a few of those to choose from.

Q: Did you think Dallas' pass rush was going to be this good when the year started?

No way. Nobody did. You hoped for one player to show up among the NFL's top 20 sack guys and somehow, the Cowboys have two? DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving have gone from breakout guys to consistent threats in the past few months. They have been their own enemies at times with suspensions, but now they are dominant -- so much so that Tyrone Crawford's deal doesn't look that bad anymore, because now he is making plays, too. Maliek Collins is a very nice piece, too, and I assume in 12-18 months, having a player like Taco Charlton will look solid, too. He just needs time to develop. This is all a great and rather unforeseen development to be among the league leaders in team sacks. They currently sit in third place in the league with 27, behind only Jacksonville and Carolina.

Q: Who would you say is the most important receiver on the team right now? Think I would've said Dez in the past when Romo was here. Now I'm thinking it's Beasley.

Oh, it is still Dez Bryant. We have seen them try to replace him and they have nobody remotely close. Like I said earlier, they think Ryan Switzer can give you 80 percent of Cole Beasley right now if Beasley were to miss a month. They don't have that guy for Dez Bryant. Dez is no longer a top-five receiver and maybe only was for 2014. But he is still a near unstoppable red-zone threat who also can do those things on third downs. Red-zone and third-down success are huge correlated stats to winning. So don't let people tell you Dez is worthless if he accomplishes those things that still win games. I see no reason why he can't do that for several years, even though he isn't making anyone miss in the open field anymore.

Q: Which Falcon do you think has the potential to be the biggest thorn in the Cowboys' side?

Tevin Coleman is my pick to click. Julio Jones is really banged up and dragging his body back onto the field every week. Coleman and Devonta Freeman are the real issues to deal with and I expect the Falcons to bang away to look for success on the ground. But, they achieve that by passing to those running backs more than your average offense does.

Q: Where do you think Dak ranks among the best QBs in the league right now?

He ranks in the "His team could not be more overjoyed to have him" tier. If you are in the top five quarterbacks, we can quibble about how you stack those, but for the young guys who barely have 20 starts under their belts, we encourage them to keep playing and showing that you are what people say you are. One good season doesn't put you in the league's elite. But three seasons do. So, to Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott, Jared Goff and even the guys who are from this draft class -- when healthy, Deshaun Watson -- just keep swimming.

Q: What do you think is the best go-to play the Cowboys have on offense?

There is no question it is their RPO that we covered here and here recently. No team has demonstrated the ability to stop the Cowboys when they go to this. It almost makes you wonder if they should run it outside of the red zone more often.

Q: Lawrence and Irving are the best pass rushing duo the Cowboys have had since ?

Probably DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis (2007-08). In those two seasons, that dynamic duo combined for 54.5 sacks by themselves. That is 27 combined in each of two years. Irving and Lawrence have a chance, but that is a long ways off. Those two were awesome and Wade Phillips knew a little something about defense when he was here.